Automatic circuit-breaker.



No. 704,495. Patented July l5, I902. B. BALLANTYNE.

AUTOMATIC CIRDUlT BREAKER.

(Application filed Aug. 8. 1900.)

(N0 Model.)

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UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

BRIGHAM BALLANTYNE, OF SUMPTER, OREGON.

AUTOMATIC CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SZECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Eatent No. 704,496, dated July 15,1902.

Application filed August 8, 1900. Serial llo. 26,271. (No model.)

To aZZ 1071,0717, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BRIGHAM BALLAN'IYNE, a citizen of theUnitedStates,residing at Sumpter, Baker county, Oregon, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Auto maticCircuit-Breakers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic circuit-breakers; andthe object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simplearrangement which will guard against the efiects of dangerous excessesof current, while at the same time providing means whereby the circuitshall be restored to normal con- I5 dition immediately upon the currentbeing reduced.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which thefigure is a side elevation of the switch and operating-magnets with theline-wires shown diagrammatically.

Referring to the drawing by reference-letters, a and a represent theline-wires of an electric circuit, including, for instance, a series oflamps B.

H represents a switch-lever pivoted at I and having a contact 0cooperating with a stationary contact 0 the switch formed thereby beingrepresentative of any well-known 0 form of switch-such, for instance, asspring- I copper brush, carbon-point breaks, mercurycup contacts, or thelike. To the opposite end of the switch-lever are secured the cores N Nof two solenoids m 021 the solenoid m being wound with coarse wire insuch a manner that the ordinary current flowing therethrough does notmagnetize it sufficiently to overcome the tension placed upon the levereither by the adjustable weight F or the spring E, or both. Theline-wire a is connected with the coil of the solenoid m the connectionbeing then by wire a to switch point or contact 0', whence it passes byswitclnpiece c to the lamps or other point of distribution.

The solenoid m is arranged in a shunt-circuit around the switch, beingconnected by wire a with wire a -and by wire a with the line-wire. Thissolenoid m is Wound with fine wire to produce a resistance sufficient toprevent effective current at the normal strength passing therethrough.

In case of a dangerous excess of current on the wires, therefore, itwill be seen that solenoid m will be sufficiently energized to operatethe switch-lever to break the circuit at c c and the entire current willbe turned through the high resistance coil, thereby energizing the samestrongly and holding the switch-lever in its open position, thehigh-reresistance coil, however, being Wound for a sufficiently highvoltage to prevent the current injuring the coil itself. The parts will,however, be maintained in this position until the current is restored toits normal condition or completely out off, when the spring or weightwill immediately restore the switchlever to normal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an automaticcircuit-breaker,the com bination with the conductors a, and (L ,Of astationary contact c ,connected with said conductor a, a pivoted switch-lever havingacontact c normally in engagement with said stationarycontact, asolenoid of low resistance electrically connected with saidmovable contact and with the conductor a a core for said solenoidconnected directly to said lever for positively operating the same toseparate the contacts on the presence of an excess of current in thesolenoid-coils, an independent solenoid of high resistance, a coretherefor connected directly to said lever, said high-resistancesolenoid-coil being in closed circuit with said conductors a and asubstantially as described.

2. In combination with the main conductors a and a a stationary contact0 connected to said conductor a, a centrally-piv oted switch-levercarrying a contact 0 on its front end, means whereby said lever is heldwith the front end normally depressed, a pair of solenoids arrangedbeneath the rear end of the lever, one of said solenoids being of lowresistance and the other of high resistance, electrical connections fromsaid low-resistance coil to the movable contact and to conductor a,electrical connections from the highresistance solenoid to theconductors a and a and a core in each solenoid directly connected withthe rear portion of the switch lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BRIGHAM BALLANTYNE.

Witnesses:

.IAMEs l3. S'roDDAnD, Fnnnn'lioit TIETJEN.

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